LAWRENCE, Mass. – Columbia Gas of Massachusetts today announced the completion of its gas pipeline construction project, achieving a major milestone on the path to restoring gas service to the Greater Lawrence area. The completed construction—the ‘gas-ready’ part of the recovery effort—included the installation of 43.5 miles of gas main lines and 5,086 service lines, the requalification of nearly 12.3 miles of main line polyethylene pipe, and provides state-of-the-art infrastructure and enhanced safety features for the entire system. The pipeline construction, or ‘gas-ready’ effort, was completed three weeks ahead of schedule.

Separately, last week, local and state officials and Columbia Gas announced an updated timeline for the ‘house-ready’ process and efforts to pursue rapid relights. This includes repairing and replacing equipment and appliances in homes and businesses so they can safely receive natural gas. With the construction part of the recovery complete, Columbia Gas is now renewing its focus on the ‘house-ready’ aspect and shifting resources and staff to that work.

On the construction milestone, Joe Albanese, Chief Recovery Officer, as appointed by Governor Baker, said: “Over 29 days, NiSource and pipeline contractor crews from 10 states pulled together to complete this unprecedented engineering operation efficiently, and most important – safely. It was a first-class team that planned and executed this project. While this is an important milestone, we are well-aware the complex work inside homes has faced challenges, and we are laser-focused on increasing the pace and productivity of that work.”

Pablo Vegas, Chief Restoration Officer for Columbia Gas said: “I’m extremely proud of our employees, contractors, partners in local and state government, and indeed, the entire community who have helped make this phase of our effort to restore gas service to the Greater Lawrence area go so well. Now we will focus our energy and resources to the in-home, ‘house-ready’ part of the project. As we’ve said, we are committed to making homes ‘house-ready’ as safely and efficiently as possible, and that important work continues.”

About Columbia Gas of MassachusettsColumbia Gas of Massachusetts delivers clean, affordable and efficient natural gas to over 320,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Massachusetts, the greater Springfield area and the Merrimack Valley. Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, the company is the largest gas-only provider in the state and is one of NiSource's seven regulated utility companies. NiSource (NYSE: NI) is one of the largest fully-regulated utility
companies in the United States, serving approximately 3.5 million natural gas customers and 500,000 electric customers through its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands. More information about Columbia Gas of Massachusetts is available at ColumbiaGasMA.com.

About NiSourceNiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) is one of the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States, serving approximately 3.5 million natural gas customers and 500,000 electric customers across seven states through its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands. Based in Merrillville, Indiana, NiSource's approximately 8,000 employees are focused on safely delivering reliable and affordable energy to our customers and communities we serve. NiSource has been designated a World's Most Ethical Company by the Ethisphere Institute since 2012, is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability - North America Index and was named by Forbes magazine as the top-rated utility among America's Best Large Employers in 2017. Additional information about NiSource, its
investments in modern infrastructure and systems, its commitments and its local brands can be found at NiSource.com. Follow us at Facebook.com/nisource, LinkedIn.com/company/NiSource or Twitter.com/nisourceinc. NI-F